# US 5,703,609 A · Emulation of single line display with multi-line display driver > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,703,609 A - Document ID: US5703609A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/418,395 - Filed: 1995-03-10 - Granted: 1997-12-30 - Earliest claimed: 1995-03-10 - Assignees: Eastman Kodak Company - Inventors: Michael Timothy Malley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5703609A ## CPC - G09G 3/18: using liquid crystals - G06F 3/147: using display panels - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A single-line 16 character display is driven using a display driver designed to drive two independent 8 character single-line displays. Conceptually, the 16 character display is treated as the two independent 8 character displays placed side by side. The message for display is placed in a first area of driver memory corresponding to the first 8 character display. A truncated version of the same message for display, with an offset at the beginning equal to the number of characters in the first display line, is stored in a second area of driver memory corresponding to the second 8 character display line. When the message and the truncated version thereof are simultaneously displayed, an observer views a single, coherent 16 character single line display. If the message is greater than 16 characters, the driver scrolls both the message for display and the truncated version thereof, creating a single scrolled message from the point of view of the observer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for emulating a single line display of a predetermined length with a display driver for driving at least two independent single line displays, said display driver including a memory for storing at least two messages for display on said at least two independent single line displays, each of said at least two independent single line displays having a length less than said predetermined length, said method comprising steps of: providing a single line display of said predetermined length; storing a message for display in said memory; displaying as much of said message for display as will fit in a first part of said single line display of said predetermined length; and displaying as much of a truncated version of said message for display as will fit in a second part of said single line display of said predetermined length adjacent said first part, said truncated version having an offset at a beginning of said message for display equal to a length of said first part, said display driver driving said single line display of said predetermined length. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said message for display has a length longer than said predetermined length, and wherein said step of storing comprises steps of: storing said message for display in a first area of said memory; and storing a truncated version of said message for display in a second area of said memory. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising steps of: scrolling in said first part said message for display; and scrolling in said second part said truncated version of said message for display. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said message for display has a length less than said predetermined length, and wherein said steps of displaying are performed such that said message for display is centered in said single line display of said predetermined length. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said first part of said single line display of said predetermined length comprises a first half thereof, and wherein said second part of said single line display of said predetermined length comprises a second half thereof. ### Claim 6 A method for emulating a single line display of a predetermined length with a display driver for driving at least two independent single line displays, said display driver including a memory for storing at least two messages for display on said at least two independent single line displays, said at least two independent single line displays including a first display and a second display, each of said first display and said second display having a length less than said predetermined length, said method comprising steps of: providing a single line display of said predetermined length; storing a message for display in a first plurality of locations in said memory, said message for display having a length greater than said predetermined length; storing a truncated version of said message for display in a second plurality of locations in said memory, said truncated version having an offset at a beginning of said message for display equal to a length of said first display; displaying as much of said message for display stored in said first plurality of locations as possible in a first portion of said single line display of said predetermined length, said first portion having a length equal to said length of said first display; displaying as much of said truncated version stored in said second plurality of locations as possible in a second portion of said single line display of said predetermined length, said second portion having a length equal to said length of said second display; scrolling in said first portion said message for display stored in said first plurality of locations; and scrolling in said second portion said truncated version stored in said second plurality of locations. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein said display driver includes a plurality of pointers for pointing to a plurality of locations in said memory, wherein said first step of storing comprises storing said message for display in a first plurality of adjacent locations in said memory, wherein said second step of storing comprises storing said truncated version in a second plurality of adjacent locations, wherein said first step of displaying and said first step of scrolling each comprises incrementally pointing to said first plurality of locations, and wherein said second step of displaying and said second step of scrolling each comprises incrementally pointing to said second plurality of locations. ### Claim 8 Apparatus for emulating a single line display of a predetermined length, comprising: a single line display of said predetermined length; and a display driver for driving at least two independent single line displays, each of said at least two independent single line displays having a length less than said predetermined length, said display driver comprising: a memory for storing at least two messages for display, means for storing a message for display in said memory, means for causing said single line display of said predetermined length to display as much of said message for display as will fit in a first part thereof, and means for causing said single line display of said predetermined length to display as much of a truncated version of said message for display as will fit in a second part thereof, wherein said truncated version has an offset at a beginning of said message for display equal to a length of said first part. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said message for display has a length longer than said predetermined length, wherein said memory comprises a first area and a second area, wherein said means for storing comprises means for storing said message for display in said first area and means for storing a truncated version of said message for display in said second area. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising: means for scrolling in said first part said message for display; and means for scrolling in said second part said truncated version of said message for display. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said apparatus is housed in a camera. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said message for display has a length less than said predetermined length, and wherein each of said means for causing comprises means for centering said message for display in said single line display of said predetermined length. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said first means for causing comprises means for causing display in a first half of said single line display of said predetermined length, and wherein said second means for causing comprises means for causing display in a second half of said single line display of said predetermined length. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said apparatus is housed within a camera. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said single display of said predetermined length comprises a liquid crystal display. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said liquid crystal display comprises a 16 character liquid crystal display.